Five things Arne Slot learned as dominant Liverpool survive game of errors
Liverpool claimed a 2-1 win at Molineux against Wolves in a chaotic game as Arne Slot's side went top of the Premier League ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal
Liverpool went top of the Premier League after defeating Wolves 2-1 in what was a chaotic game at Molineux.
Goals from Ibrahima Konate and Mohamed Salah either side of Rayan Ait-Nouri's equaliser lifted Arne Slot's side above Manchester City and Arsenal. While Wolves are still yet to win a game in the Premier League this season, they gave Liverpool plenty of cause for thought.
Slot's side did not have it all their way against Wolves, who looked dangerous on the counter-attack against the Reds.
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However, despite some nervy moments in the second half, particularly after Ait-Nouri's goal, Liverpool managed to cling on for the win.
And here are five things Reds boss Slot learnt from Liverpool's 2-1 win over Wolves.
There are no easy games in the Premier League
On paper, this should have been a simple task for Liverpool. They were facing off against a side bottom of the Premier League. However, football is not played on paper. Liverpool looked shaky against Wolves and could very well have walked away from Molineux without all three points.
Thankfully for Slot's side, they did manage to prevail on a day where Manchester City dropped points to Newcastle United on the road at St James' Park with a 1-1 draw and Arsenal only just managed to beat Leicester City 4-2 at the Emirates with two goals in stoppage time.
Rode their luck early on
Liverpool rode their luck early on in the contest with the game resembling less Slot-like control and more Klopp-like chaos. Wolves are a team that like to attack in transition and they did ask questions of Liverpool's defence on a few of occasions. However, there is a reason Gary O'Neil's side currently sit bottom of the Premier League.
While the Reds looked sluggish to start the game, they managed to open the scoring through Ibrahima Konate, who headed home Diogo Jota's wonderful cross just minutes after Dominik Szoboszlai had his effort saved at point blank range by Sam Johnstone.
Klopp lives on
For all the talk of a new era at Anfield under Slot, Liverpool looked an awful lot like the chaotic side managed by Klopp last season. The game at Molineux was frantic and Liverpool did not have real control of the contest.
Wolves hit them on the break on multiple occasions and it was perhaps a reminded to the rest of the Premier League that despite their excellent defensive record this term, which has seen the Reds concede the least number of goals, they can still be got at.
Konate giveth, Konate taketh
During the Reds first game of the Premier League season against Ipswich Town, Slot opted to start Jarell Quansah alongside Virgil van Dijk. Quansah had played the majority of the Reds pre-season games with Van Dijk and Konate being handed extended breaks due to being part of their respective nations European Championship squads.
However, at half-time against the Tractor Boys, Slot substituted Quansah for Konate, a decision he has stuck by in every other Premier League game this season. So when it was Konate who opened the scoring with a header in first half stoppage time, you suspect Slot felt even further vindicated to make the Frenchman his first choice defender to partner Van Dijk at the back for the Reds.
But then after having headed the Reds in front, Konate inexplicably let Wolves back into the game after half-time, when a miscommunication between him and Alisson led to Rayan Ait-Nouri's equaliser. You suspect Slot felt less vindicated after that incident...
Time for more Nunez minutes?
While Diogo Jota scored twice in midweek against West Ham United in the Carabao Cup, and produced a wonderful assist for Konate's goal, he has not scored in the Premier League since the opening day against Ipswich. Conversely, last time out in the Premier League, Uruguayan forward Darwin Nunez netted a stunning strike for Liverpool against Brentford.
Dropping Jota would be harsh, especially given he also won the penalty that saw Liverpool regain the lead against Wolves through Mohamed Salah. Nunez is erratic and Slot may not appreciate his chaotic tendencies on the pitch at times, but there's no doubt his athleticism and pace would offer Liverpool another threat. So to make room for Jota and Nunez, Szoboszlai could be dropped, with Jota shifting into the number 10 position and Nunez starting at striker.